St. Louis Workers’ Compensation Attorneys – Work-related Radiation Sickness

Work-related radiation sickness is a serious condition. You may qualify for Missouri workers’ compensation benefits.

Radiation sickness refers to the nature of an illness or injury that occurs when the body is exposed to a large dose of radiation. Many workers are exposed to radiation for a short period of time, in which case it is considered acute. The amount or dose of radiation that the body absorbs determines the severity of radiation sickness. Radiation sickness is also referred to as radiation poisoning and the medical term for this is acute radiation syndrome or radiation toxicity.

Types of Radiation

There are two types of radiation. Non-ionizing radiation is found in radio waves, microwaves, light, or radar. This is harmless and does not cause any tissue damage. On the other hand, ionizing radiation is quite harmful. It is the type of radiation that causes poisoning or sickness. Ionizing radiation causes chemical effects on human tissue. Gamma rays, particle bombardment, and X-rays give out ionizing radiation, causing radiation sickness or poisoning. Radiation poisoning or sickness is a type of illness that a worker can develop as the result of a work-related accident which exposes him or her to a high dose of radiation.

Occupations with High Risk of Radiation Poisoning

Some types of jobs involve a high risk of radiation exposure:

• accident recovery workers
• workers involved in the transportation of radioactive materials
• radium dial luminisers
• hard-rock miners
• workers in the nuclear industry
• radiologists, radiological technicians, and other medical professionals that have to work around radiation
• airline personnel
• dentists and dental technicians
• liquidators

Injuries Caused by Radiation Poisoning

Most injuries caused by radiation sickness or poisoning are serious and life-threatening. Radiation sickness can lead to a variety of injuries and health conditions that include:

• cancer
• burns
• tissue death
• permanent hair loss
• damage to sebaceous glands and sweat
• redness of the skin
• thickening of connective tissue also known as fibrosis
• scarring
• atrophy
• increased or decreased pigmentation of the skin
• necrosis or ulceration of exposed tissue

Work Related Injuries